Let’s talk about second breakfasts. I’m referring specifically to the snaking, raking hunger which seeps in when you’ve started the day at an ungodly hour.
It might be because you’re demand feeding twins. It might be because your chubby 20 mth old who had his first introduction to croup will only doze through the night while propped upright on your chest. It might be because in order to get to a client site on the other side of the city for an 8.30 am project summit you have to leave the house before the sun starts to yawn. And it might be because you’re so excited about the prospect of riding your grandmother’s tiny horse again that you feel the need to start the day at 4.45 am and yodel for your boots and let out into the paddock.
These four scenarios are all well known to those I’ve been feeding lately. One is my best friend. One is me. One is Will and one is The Hungry One. (Feel free to try and pick who is who).
Whichever scenario best fits you, I’m betting that if your internal clock doesn’t know which way is up and you’re clamoring for second breakfast, then there’s every chance you’re going to yearn for a muffin or chocolate bar. Sweet and doughy are my main main desires.
In this house, the favoured culprit for The Hungry One is a Cherry Ripe. Dark chocolate swaddling a mysterious, cerise stained coconut filling. They’re his kyrptonite.
So instead, I’ve been stocking the fridge with this.
It’s bircher muesli, but not as you know it. Yes, there’s the usual suspects of juicy grated apple and low GI oats, but after that, the volume gets turned up. Instead of the empty sugar of apple juice as the soaking liquid there’s a not-so-naughty chocolate smoothie (milk, a little banana and vanilla extract for sweetness and ballast and cocoa). You could, of course replace the dairy with almond milk if you fancy. If you can’t find gluten free oats and that’s something you need, you could replace the oats with rolled quinoa. And if you were chasing as much goodness as possible you could use raw cacao instead of cocoa. Beyond all that there’s grated (or desiccated) coconut for festive chew, ground flax for nuttiness, fibre and omega 3s and drained morello cherries as well as dried for a cheeky pop.
I like to make it in bulk and then portion it in twee little jars in the fridge. It can then be topped with yoghurt, stewed rhubarb or berries, or chia seeds, or just eaten one handed while you try and shake off the 10 am wobbles.
It’s been a week of relative indulgence over here (thanks Easter). These pots are one way of slowly stepping down the treat ladder, without stealing too much joy.
I promise, if you have a stash of these in your fridge, no matter what time you start your day, it will be a better one.
Cherry Ripe Bircher Pots
Serves 6-8
These make for great portable breakfasts or snacks. I’m told they are also an excellent gift for a new mum to have on hand.
Shopping/foraging
1 banana
500 ml milk (can substitute for almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
15 g cocoa/ raw cacao
2 red apples, cored and grated (or blitzed in a blender until they are in pieces the size of a grain of rice)
20 g ground flax
40 g shredded coconut
170 g oats
200g/1 cup of drained morello cherries in juice
50 g dried cherries or dried cranberries
Optional: chia seeds, flaked almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, yoghurt to serve.
Here’s how we roll
1) In a blender combine the banana, milk, vanilla extract and cocoa. Blend until smooth.
2) Place all the remaining ingredients in a large tupperware.
3) Pour over the chocolate banana smoothie and stir to combine.
5) Allow to steep in the fridge for 6 hours, or overnight. Then portion into jars for easy, portable consumption.
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This looks so good, here in my office on a rainy morning after a carb-less and sugarless week! Pinned!